Tears Dry On Their Own
by Ellivia
Summary: Michael's lies put his family's life at risk. Will Lauren be able to forgive him or has he finally gone too far?
1. Chapter 1

-1**Chapter One**

"You don't have to do this you know." Lauren said as she settled herself more comfortably into the couch cushions.

"You're right. I don't have to," Michael said as he took his wife's feet and gently placed them in his lap, "I want to. You're having my baby, the least I can do is pamper you a little." Lauren smiled warmly at him and wiggled her toes.

"I'd paint them myself if I could actually _see_ my feet." she pouted, straining her neck to try and see past her protruding belly. Michael leaned forward and kissed her just below her belly button, his new favourite spot.

"Well then, until our little angel is born, I'll just have to take care of everything below the waist." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You're insatiable," Lauren sighed in mock frustration, "Just paint my toes already!"

"Bossy, bossy." Michael teased as he picked up the bottle of polish and slowly began applying gentle strokes to each of Lauren's tiny toe nails. The room grew silent as Michael devoted all of his attention to the task at hand. Lauren tried not to giggle when she saw the look of sheer concentration on his face. You would think he were painting a masterpiece or something! He was such a perfectionist. Lauren wondered if their baby would inherit that trait.

"What are you thinking about?" Michael asked suddenly, without looking up from her toes. Lauren jumped a little at the sound of his voice, having grown used to the silence. He looked up at her then and smiled apologetically.

"You." she said simply. He openly gazed at her as he lifted her right foot and brought it close to his lips, gently blowing on each freshly polished nail. Lauren felt a shiver run up her spine.

"What about me?" Michael finally asked when it became clear that she didn't plan to elaborate on her thoughts any further.

"About how amazing you're going to be with our baby," Lauren said as she instinctively placed her hand on her stomach. "I can't wait to see the two of you together." Michael placed his hand atop her's and they both smiled when they felt the baby's movements underneath. He'd felt the baby kick before, but that didn't stop Michael from getting teary eyed once again.

"Thank you." Michael whispered, his voice almost inaudible. Lauren didn't ask what for. She didn't need to. Her own eyes began to well up with tears as she sat up straighter and bent forward to cup his cheek in her hand. She mouthed 'I love you' to him as he slowly brought his lips to her's...

And then the phone began to ring.

"Let the machine get it." Michael mumbled in between kisses.

"It could be important." Lauren insisted, though she couldn't bring herself to tear her mouth away from his.

"Nothing's more important than this." Well, she couldn't argue with that. Just as she was about to suggest that they move into the bedroom, the sound of frantic knocking on the front door joined the shrill ringing of the telephone. Michael groaned in frustration. "Why can't we ever catch a break?" Lauren smiled at him sympathetically and gave him one last peck on the lips before moving out of his embrace.

"You get the door, I'll handle the phone."

"Deal."

And just like that, Michael's world came tumbling down around him.


	2. Chapter 2

-1**Chapter Two**

"Mom's been arrested," Kevin announced frantically as he entered the apartment. "I knew this would happen, I knew it! We never should have helped her, we should have..."

"Kevin!" Michael grabbed him by the arm before he made it into the living room. "Keep your voice down before Lauren,"

"Before I what, Michael?" Both men immediately stopped talking and turned to face Lauren. She was standing in the middle of the room, one hand on her hip and the other still holding the phone. Given the roundness of her entire upper body, her posturing would have seemed comical if it wasn't for the rage and sadness in her eyes.

"Lauren, I..."

"Save it, Michael! Don't you want to know who was on the phone?" Michael had a feeling this was a rhetorical question, though even if she expected him to answer, he doubted he would have been able to. The lump that had formed in his throat felt like it was slowly suffocating him, and he knew he deserved it.

"It was Gloria. She needs you to go bail her out of jail, apparently she's been charged with manslaughter in the death of Emma Gibson." Lauren sounded eerily calm. Michael still couldn't bring himself to speak and Kevin looked as though he were about to cry or wet himself, or both.

"Oh, come on you guys. Aren't you even gonna pretend to act surprised?" Lauren felt a few angry tears run down her cheeks, and she frantically wiped them away. "God, I'm such an idiot!"

"Lauren, please. You need to calm down." Michael quietly pleaded as he moved closer to her, wanting so badly to hold her in his arms, to make the pain go away. The look she gave him stopped him in his tracks.

"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down when I've just learned that my husband," she looked over his shoulder at Kevin, "that my entire family has been lying to me for months?!"

"I was trying to protect you." Michael explained, though it sounded pathetic even to his own ears.

"No, Michael. You weren't protecting me, you were protecting yourself. You knew I would never approve of you and Kevin getting mixed up in this, so you lied to me after you swore you never would. And I believed you." She knew she was crying again, but at this point she was too numb to care. Michael didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do in order to fix this. He couldn't bare to look at her. The pain in her eyes made his heart hurt.

"Maybe I should go." Kevin mumbled nervously when the silence finally became unbearable.

"No, Kevin." Lauren said, her voice rough from unshed tears. "You stay. I'm the one who should leave. I'm the one who should have left a long time ago." She grabbed her purse off the coffee table and headed towards the door.

"Lauren, please." Michael pleaded. He didn't say more, he didn't have the right to. Lauren paused with her hand on the doorknob, but she didn't turn around to face him.

"Don't." Was all she said before walking out the door and closing it firmly behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

-1**Chapter Three**

Michael hadn't said a word since Lauren left. He sat on the couch with his arm covering his face, not moving a muscle. Kevin would have wondered if maybe he'd fallen asleep if it wasn't for the occasional hitch in his breathing. It was like he was crying inside.

"She'll be back," Kevin assured his distraught brother, sounding far more confident than he actually felt. He had never seen Lauren this angry before. "She loves you, Mikey. You can find a way to make her understand."

"What is there to understand, Kevin?" Michael finally said as he got up from the couch and began pacing the room. "I lied to her. I looked her right in the eyes and lied to her repeatedly when she begged me to be honest with her," Michael walked over to the bottle of scotch and poured himself a drink. "How am I supposed to make her understand that."

Kevin didn't know what to say. He'd never seen Michael like this before, except for when he thought that Lauren had died in that explosion. Kevin had hoped never to see that look of emptiness in his brother's eyes again.

"So, I guess we'd better go bail mom out." Kevin suggested. Michael let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"She can rot in jail for the rest of her miserable life for all I care." Michael said as he slammed his glass down and poured another drink.

"You don't mean that, Michael." Kevin reasoned. The look Michael gave him then told Kevin in no uncertain terms that he was deadly serious. "She's our mother."

"She's a parasite, Kevin, and she won't stop until she's ruined both of our lives," Michael sat back down on the couch and picked up the baby book that Lauren had been looking at earlier. "She may already have."

"Then we should at least go down there to find out how much she's told the police about our involvement, right?" Kevin asked, trying a new angle. Michael sat and contemplated that for a minute. Kevin was right. They needed to find out how much the police knew so they could do damage control. Michael didn't know how he was going to get Lauren to forgive him for this, but he wouldn't be able to do anything if he was behind bars.

"Alright, fine." Michael said in defeat as he grabbed his keys off the coffee table and headed out the door with Kevin following him close behind. "But after this, I'm done. That woman is dead to me."

Kevin and Michael arrived at the police station a little while later. Michael approached the front desk and asked to speak with Det. Webber.

"He'll be right with you, Mr. Baldwin." the clerk informed him politely. Michael turned to look at Kevin who was cowering near the water cooler.

"Could you try and look a little _less_ guilty, please?"

"I can't help it, Michael! What if she's told them everything? What if..."

"Councilor," Det. Webber bellowed from the other end of the squad room. "What can I do for you?" Michael approached the taller man at the front desk.

"I understand that you have Gloria Abbott in your custody and that she has been granted bail. I'm here to post it." Det. Webber looked at him in confusion. BR  
"Mrs. Abbott's bail has already been posted." Michael couldn't mask his shock.

"Really? By who?" The detective looked at him suspiciously.

"Your wife."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Thank you so much for bailing me out of jail, dear." Gloria said as she sat in the passenger seat of Lauren's Benz as they sped down the highway. "I was expecting Michael though."

"I'm sure you were." Lauren said under her breath.

" I know it looks bad, but I'm completely innocent of course. I mean what possible motive would I have for contaminating the GloAgain cream?" Gloria lied to her daughter-in-law as she nonchalantly looked in the rearview mirror while re-applying her lipstick. "Our exit is coming up soon, honey. Shouldn't you switch lanes?"

"We're not going home, Gloria." Lauren said calmly as she pressed her foot down on the accelerator. Gloria slowly closed her lipstick and returned it to her purse. She turned to look at Lauren, _really_ look at her for the first time since she'd arrived at the police station. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying, her jaw clenched in anger. Suddenly Gloria felt that she may have been better off staying in jail.

"Lauren, sweetheart. Is everything alright?" Gloria asked nervously.

"No," Lauren said. "But it will be." Lauren turned to look at her then and what Gloria saw in her eyes convinced her not to say another word until they reached their destination, wherever that may be.


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Chapter Four**

"Lauren's not answering her cell phone, it keeps going straight to voicemail." Michael said to Kevin as they entered the Abbott mansion.

"Mom? Lauren? Is anybody here?" Kevin yelled into the eerily quiet house. Nobody responded. "I'll go check upstairs."

"She's not here, Kevin." Michael pointed out the obvious.

"How do you know that?" Kevin asked, frustrated that his brother didn't seem to be as worried as he was.

"Well for starters, Lauren's car isn't in the driveway," Michael took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his mother's number this time, "and why would Lauren go to the trouble of bailing Gloria out herself just to bring her back here?" Michael flipped his phone shut in frustration when the call was forwarded to voicemail. "Lauren's up to something. I just wish I knew what it was..."

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Gloria didn't know whether to laugh or scream when Lauren drove them into the cemetery. It was dark out, and a thin layer of fog seemed to envelope the entire property. All they needed were a few brain eating zombies to complete the horror movie motif. Gloria nervously glanced at Lauren. She had read an article recently that looked at the affects pregnant women's raging hormones had on their behavior. Violent mood swings were one thing, but murder...

"I'm not going to kill you, Gloria." Lauren said, her voice rough from the hours of silence. No wonder Michael always had such a hard time lying to Lauren, Gloria thought to herself. The woman could read minds!

"Then why are we here?" Gloria asked suspiciously. Lauren pulled the car up behind a grove of trees and shut off the engine.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where do you think they could be?" Kevin wondered out loud as he paced the Abbott's living room.

"I don't know." Michael replied sharply.

"You don't think Lauren would..."

"Of course not!" Michael looked at him incredulously. "Lauren wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Well maybe we should call the police?" Kevin suggested. Michael laughed bitterly at that.

"And tell them what, Kevin? That my very emotional, very pregnant wife may have kidnapped my mother, who just happens to be out on bail? Yeah, that'd go over really well."

"Well then what should we do?" Kevin asked, frustrated.

"I don't know, but we can't stay here." Michael said, and Kevin nodded in agreement. The two men headed for the door, which opened as soon as they reached it. Michael and Kevin froze.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gloria practically had to jog in order to keep up with Lauren's brisk strides through the cemetery. She irrationally admonished herself for not wearing more appropriate shoes, then tried not to laugh when she wondered exactly what kind of footwear one should wear during late night jaunts through a graveyard. She was just about to ask Lauren how much further they had to go, when all of a sudden the younger woman stopped dead in her tracks.

"I haven't been here in so long," Lauren said as she bent down and ran her fingers over the name engraved on the large tombstone in front of her. "Too long." Gloria jumped when a loud roar of thunder punctuated Lauren's words.

"Dear, maybe we should start heading back? We don't want to get caught in a rainstorm." Gloria reasoned, though she had a feeling Lauren wasn't going anywhere until she had said what she had come here to say.

"I used to come here all the time," Lauren continued, ignoring Gloria's warning. "I've lived in LA, Paris, all over Europe. I've traveled the world," Lauren slowly stood up and wiped a stray tear from her eye, "But I've never felt more at home than I do right here." As if on cue, a flash of lightening lit the night sky allowing Gloria to read the name engraved on the tombstone's marble surface: Neil Fenmore.

"Your father." Gloria gasped out loud.

"He was a wonderful man," Lauren praised, the admiration she still felt for him clear in her eyes. "I was his little princess," she smiled warmly at that, "He gave me everything I ever wanted. Not just material things, but respect, pride and love." Lauren's voice turned rough with emotion. " So much love."

"He sounds like a great man, I wish I could have met him." Gloria said, then wished she hadn't. The look of contempt Lauren gave her then sent a chill up her spine and for the second time that evening, Gloria decided that it would be in her best interest to shut up. Confident that there would be no further interruptions, Lauren continued.

"The only pain in this lifetime that can even compare to that of losing a child is the pain of losing a parent," Lauren said with the kind of understanding that could only be felt by someone who had experienced both. "When my father died, I thought I would too. He'd been my rock for so long that I didn't know how I would ever be able to make it in this world without him there to guide me. I just felt so lost and no matter what I did, no matter what I accomplished, nothing and no one could fill the void that he left," Lauren smiled wistfully through her tears, "Until Michael."

Gloria had always been astonished by the depth of love that Michael & Lauren so obviously felt for one another, and tonight was no different. Gloria watched in awe as Lauren's entire being seemed to radiate with happiness as she talked about her eldest son.

"Michael was so unexpected," Lauren continued. "I didn't want to fall in love with him, but how could I not? He gave me the respect, the acceptance and the unconditional love that I had been searching for my whole life. And he expected nothing in return, felt that he _deserved_ nothing in return." Lauren's smile turned bittersweet. "How can a man who loves so completely feel unworthy of receiving love in return?"

Gloria didn't answer. Because in that moment, as the rain from the storm clouds above finally descended upon them, Gloria realized something. She _was_ the answer.


	5. Chapter 5

-1**Chapter Five**

"Nice to see you too, Jack." Michael said sarcastically. He really was not in the mood to be dealing with this right now.

"You two have got some nerve coming here after everything your mother has done."

"Allegedly done." Michael corrected him, but with little conviction. Michael knew Gloria was guilty of course, but defending her was a habit he just couldn't manage to break.

"Oh, please." Jack said as he pushed passed them both and made his way into the living room. "Mr. Blakely, a known drug dealer, confessed to selling your mother a batch of the same chemicals found in the contaminated cream. That, coupled with the eye witness testimony from the Jabot security guard who saw her near the lab that day, should be more than enough to drill the final nail in Gloria's coffin." Jack declared confidently.

"I am so sick of you treating my mother like something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe!" Kevin exclaimed.

"I just call it like I see it." Jack said, entirely too pleased with himself. "If you boys don't like it, you know where the door is." And with that he turned his back on the brothers dismissively.

"You know what, Jack?" Kevin said as he angrily approached his step-brother from behind. "You're nothing but a..." Just then a deafening roar of thunder cut Kevin's insult short as all three men looked up at the lights as they began to flicker on and off.

"The power's going." Jack surmised.

"Way to go, Sherlock." Kevin said in response and was about to continue on with his earlier tirade when out of the corner of his eye he saw Michael walking out the door.

"Hey Mikey, wait up!" Kevin called out as he chased after him. Rain was pouring down in heavy, merciless sheets. Kevin and Michael were both instantly soaked through their clothing the moment they stepped outside.

"Where are you going?" Kevin questioned as he followed Michael to his car.

"My wife and child are out there somewhere," Michael said urgently. "I have to find them."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"When Michael and I first started getting closer, I could tell he was hurting." Lauren continued as she ran a hand over her stomach in a comforting gesture. Gloria could see she was shivering and hoped she wouldn't end up catching a cold. "I had to work so hard just to get him to open up with me, to trust me enough to let me love him. And I wanted so badly to help him repair his relationship with you, to let him experience the joy that love from a parent can bring." Lauren looked up at Gloria then, a look of disgust in her eyes. "But you don't know what love is."

"Lauren," Gloria whispered, the pouring rain helped to mask the tears now streaming down her face. "You don't mean that."

"Oh, yes I do." Lauren assured her. "I didn't want to believe it. I had hoped that deep down you really loved your sons and that you didn't mean to constantly put your own needs ahead of theirs but that is exactly what you do, Gloria. You don't care who gets hurt as long as it benefits you." Lauren spat out, bitterly.

"That's not true," Gloria defended. "Everything I do, everything I have ever done has been for my boys..."

"Stop it! For once in your miserable life just stop lying!" Lauren shouted at her. "You let your sons, your _babies_ get abused for years, Gloria. What kind of mother does that, huh?" Gloria shook her head in denial, she didn't want to hear this. "And now, years later you were given the chance to make amends, to start over and repair the damage you did. But you couldn't even do that, could you? You had to swoop in and ruin their lives all over again." Lauren accused.

"No." Gloria sobbed. "I love them..."

"You use them. You manipulate them and abuse them far worse than Tom Fisher ever did. But love?" Lauren glared at her in disgust. "No, Gloria. You don't love anyone except yourself." Gloria couldn't listen to this anymore.

"Stop it, Lauren. Just stop it!" Gloria shouted. "I know I've made mistakes, I know I'm not perfect, but I do the best I can."

"Well then, your best obviously isn't good enough." Lauren sniffled, wiping away angry tears. She reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a thickly packed envelope and held it out for Gloria to take.

"What is this?" Gloria asked in confusion.

"Two million dollars," Lauren declared. Gloria stared at her in shock. "You're going to take this money, you're going to buy a one way ticket to a country with no extradition laws and you are never going to contact Michael or Kevin ever again."

"Lauren," Gloria gasped in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"I have never been more serious about anything in my life," Lauren assured her as she looked down at her swollen belly and stroked it affectionately. "Unlike you, I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe." BR  
"I would never hurt the baby!" Gloria insisted.

"Maybe not intentionally, no. But the fact that you had Michael risk his career and his freedom proves that you obviously don't give a dn about your grandchild if you were willing to risk sending her father to prison." Lauren spat out in contempt.

"I never would have let that happen." Gloria whispered defensively.

"You can lie to me all you want, Gloria, but don't lie to yourself. You would have done whatever it took to keep yourself out of jail, including throwing your own sons to the wolves." Gloria buried her face in her hands, not wanting to hear anymore of what she knew deep down was true. "So just consider this a free pass," Lauren continued. "You get to avoid jail time, Kevin and Michael never have to deal with you again and my baby will never have to know what a selfish, manipulative btch her grandmother was." The words stung, but Gloria knew she deserved it.

"I don't want to leave," Gloria said after a few moments of tense silence had passed. "But I will. If for no other reason than to prove to you that I'm not as self centered as you think I am." Gloria said in defeat.

"Good," Lauren said as she held the envelope out to Gloria once again. "You're making the right decision." Gloria reluctantly took the money .

"I hope you're right, Lauren." Gloria sighed in resignation. Lauren nodded and without another word, walked passed Gloria and headed back towards the car.

"Wait!" Gloria called out to her. Lauren stopped and turned back to look at her mother-in-law one last time. The storm still raged on around them, continuing to soak them both to the bone. Gloria's teeth chattered as she offered Lauren one final plea.

"Never leave him. Never hurt him the way that I have. He loves you so much, I don't think he could take it." Lauren nodded in agreement, trying not to let Gloria's words affect her, but failing miserably.

"You take care of yourself, okay?" Lauren was furious with herself for saying it, but she just couldn't bring herself to hate Gloria completely.

"Don't you worry about me, I'll survive." Gloria smiled sadly. "I always do." The two women faced off for a few more breathless moments. Lauren looked as though she desperately wanted to say something more, but the words escaped her. Gloria offered her a bittersweet smile before she turned around and walked away. Lauren stood there in the freezing rain, watching the older woman disappear into the night. She placed a comforting hand on her belly and smiled down at the child nestled safely inside.

"Let's go home." 


	6. Chapter 6

-1**Chapter Six**

"Michael, calm down! We don't even know for sure if they're out there or not." Kevin tried to reason with his now frantic brother as they entered the dark apartment. The power was still out.

"It's the not knowing that has me worried, Kevin." Michael said sharply. "Lauren was furious when she left here and now she's disappeared. I don't know where she is, I don't know if she's alright..."

"And she's with mom." Kevin pointed out.

"I could care less about Gloria right now." Michael poured a glass of scotch and drank it down. "All I want to know is that my wife is safe."

"I'm fine." Lauren said from the doorway, her voice barely above a whisper. Michael turned around at the sound of her voice. The apartment was pitch black, all he could see were her eyes.

"Lauren." Michael sighed in relief as he went to her. He gathered her up in his arms and held her tight. "Sweetheart, you're freezing." He soothed, running his fingers through her damp hair. He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes as he cupped her face in his hands. "Where were you?" Lauren looked up at him slowly.

"Fixing things." She said simply. Michael smiled at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm gonna go." Kevin interrupted, squeezing past Michael and Lauren to get to the door.

"Are you sure? It's still pretty bad out there, maybe you should stay here and wait it out?" Michael asked, concerned.

"No, I'll be fine." Kevin reassured his older brother. "You two need some time alone. Besides, I should go back to the Abbott's to check on mom."

"No." Lauren blurted out as he was walking out the door. He turned around and looked at her, confused. "Gloria's fine, Kevin." Lauren continued. "She doesn't need you. Not anymore." Kevin glanced at his brother, not sure of how to respond to that. Even though he was just as confused by Lauren's words as Kevin, Michael nodded at his brother to go ahead and leave. Obviously something had gone down between Lauren and Gloria, Michael was determined to find out what that was. But first...

"Alright, let's get you warmed up." Michael said soothingly as he began removing her soaking wet jacket. "I'll draw you a hot bath."

"We have to talk about this, Michael." Lauren said, sternly. She didn't want him thinking that all was forgiven.

"I know," Michael said, solemnly. He wasn't looking forward to answering the questions she was sure to ask, but he knew he owed her that much. "Just let me do this for you first," Lauren looked at him skeptically. "Please." Michael pleaded. As usual, she could deny him nothing.

"Okay." And with that Michael lead his shivering wife into the washroom where he hoped the steam and lavender scented bubbles would be enough to wash some of her anger away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Michael walked around the living room lighting scented candles to combat the darkness, he couldn't help but think of the many times he'd lit candles before to create a romantic atmosphere for his wife. He wished that this was one of those times, but he knew that tonight it would take much more than ambiance to impress Lauren. What she wanted was the truth, and he was determined to give it to her. Even if she hated him for it.

"Should I call the fire department?" Lauren asked as she slowly entered the room. Her hair was still wet from the bath, face scrubbed clean of makeup. She looked like a child in her oversized terrycloth robe. Well, a very pregnant child.

"The fire department?" Michael asked, cautiously moving closer to her.

"Surely this qualifies as a fire hazard." Lauren motioned to the brightly lit candles that covered practically every flat surface in the apartment. Michael laughed nervously.

"Well, you know me. I never can resist playing with fire." Michael offered her a sad, self deprecating smile.

"No," Lauren nodded somberly. "No you can't. And I'm always the one who ends up getting burned." There were tears in her eyes, he wanted to wipe them away. But that would require movement and the painful truth behind her words had paralyzed him.

"I never meant to hurt you." Michael whispered.

"But you did, Michael." Lauren said sharply as she made her way over to the couch and eased herself down onto it. "Your hurt me, and I hate myself for letting you."

"Lauren," Michael started to interrupt, but she kept talking.

"I wanted so badly to believe you when you promised me no more secrets. But I think a part of me knew that it was a promise you couldn't possibly keep," She wasn't looking at him then, she wasn't looking at anything. The candlelight reflecting in her eyes showed an emptiness that both captivated and terrified him. She was miles away. "When we first started to become…friends," she smiled fondly at that and he did too, both recalling the warm summer day in August when they 'broke up' and shared their first kiss. "I could tell you were a very private person, and I respected that. But I was determined to get you to open up with me, to let me in."

"And you did, Lauren." Michael said as he gingerly sat down on the other end of the couch, leaving a few feet between them. It felt more like miles. "I told you things that I have never shared with anyone else in my entire life."

"I know," Lauren smiled warmly at him, her anger leaving her for the time being. "I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning every time you would share another piece of yourself with me. I wanted to slowly unwrap all of your secrets, all of your demons, until I had collected all the beautiful pieces of this mysterious man who I was quickly falling dangerously in love with." There were tears in her eyes again, though he had a feeling these were happy ones.

"You changed my life, " Michael admitted, happily. "I'm a better man because of you, Lauren." Then he remembered the reason why they were sitting in the dark, not touching. "At least, I try to be." Silence fell over the room then, though it was a comfortable one. Lauren openly gazed at him, seemingly contemplating what to say next. He knew the hard questions were coming and he dreaded having to answer them.

"Why did you lie to me, Michael?" He stood corrected. Sometimes it was the simple questions which proved most difficult to answer.


	7. Chapter 7

-1**Chapter Seven**

"I don't know." It was probably the most pathetic excuse for an answer he could have given her at that moment, but it was the truth. "I don't know why I lied to you, " Michael continued. "I don't know why I keep allowing myself to get dragged into these situations, I just...I wanted to protect you. I wanted to protect everyone." Michael shook his head in frustration, annoyed that even with his Harvard education he was having such a difficult time finding the words that would help to better explain his actions.

"I wanted to protect John and his company from sinking, I wanted to protect Kevin from ruining all of the progress he has made, I wanted to protect Gloria from herself, and most of all I wanted to protect you from knowing what a truly messed up family you married into." Michael chuckled, using nervous laughter as a security blanket.

"And so by lying to me and scheming behind my back, that was somehow supposed to convince me that you're the Waltons?" Michael was going to make a John-Boy joke, then thought better of it. "I know you're not perfect, Michael. I would never _want_ you to be perfect. And after all this time, I think that I know better than anyone what your family is like." Michael couldn't argue with that. "I never told a soul when your brother confessed to me about what he had done to Lily. I kept the fact that you and Kevin were Gloria's sons a secret from John for months! I even helped you deal with Tom, and after all that, you still don't trust me enough to tell me the truth?" Lauren spat out accusingly.

"This was never about me not trusting you, I trust you more than anyone and you know that." Michael said, hurt that she would even make such an accusation.

"How long have you known?" Lauren asked suddenly.

"How long have I known what?"

"How long have you known that Gloria was the one who tampered with the GloAgain cream?" Lauren clarified. "I'd just like to know how long you've been 'protecting' me from the truth." Michael sighed in resignation.

"April," Lauren looked at him, stunned. "After we found out about the baby."

"Seven months, Michael?!" Lauren choked out in disbelief. "So that's why. That's why the Jabot case affected you so much. That's why you refused to talk to me about what was going on with you." He couldn't resist the urge to reach out and wipe her tears away this time, but she angrily swatted his hand away. "I asked you over and over again if there was something you were keeping from me, Michael, and you swore to me there wasn't! God, if it's that easy for you to lie straight to my face, I wonder what else you've hid from me."

"You think this was easy for me?!" Michael yelled, not meaning to raise his voice but being unable to stop himself. "I hated lying to you! It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."

"Then why did you do it?" Lauren asked again. "And don't give me anymore crap about wanting to protect me, you and I both know that wasn't the real reason." Michael glared at her, the agony in his eyes apparent. "This wasn't about protecting me, or anyone else." Lauren answered for him. "This was about Gloria. It's always about Gloria."

"Isn't everything?" Michael quipped, sarcastically.

"It's so easy for you to insult her, isn't it? To yell and scream at her about all of the stupid things that she's done, but it's all for show. Because in the end, you're always there for her. Always ready to help her out of yet another jam." Lauren accused.

"That's rich coming from you, Lauren. Weren't you the one always encouraging me to help her, to give her the benefit of the doubt?" Michael spat back.

"Not at the expense of your career! Not the expense of us." Lauren motioned between them, Michael's eyes fell upon her protruding belly; their child. Michael reached out to lay his hands on her stomach, and to his surprise, she let him. "You need to get your priorities straight, Michael." Lauren continued. Michael closed his eyes in acknowledgement. "You have a child to think about now, you can't keep risking everything, Michael. I don't want to raise this baby on my own." Lauren declared sadly.

"And you won't," Michael whispered fiercely. "I swear to you, Lauren, never again. Never again will I risk what we have, _our_ family," he motioned at the three of them and she smiled. "You and the baby mean everything to me, you know that, right?" She nodded. As angry and disillusioned with him as she still felt, she knew he meant what he said. "And I promise that from now on, Gloria is on her own."

"Yes, she is." Lauren said confidently. "Gloria's gone, Michael." He arched his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"I gave her money to leave the country and she agreed. We never have to worry about her again." Lauren declared triumphantly.

"You did what?!" Michael yelled. He was furious. Lauren looked at him in confusion, wondering how the tables had turned so quickly. "Do you have any idea what you've done? 


	8. Chapter 8

-1**Chapter Eight**

"I saved our family a lot of grief and hassle, that's what I did." Lauren defended.

"My God, I can't believe you!" Michael suddenly stood up from the couch and began pacing the room. "How could you do something this huge without talking to me about it first? Not to mention the possible legal ramifications!"

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked. "All I did was offer her the money, she's the one who took it!"

"That's called aiding and abetting a fugitive, Lauren. You could go to prison for this!" Michael ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't believe you went ahead and did this behind my back."

"It's not a good feeling, is it?" Lauren said snidely "Being kept in the dark."

"So you did this to get back at me?" Michael accused.

"No, I did this because it's what had to be done." Lauren eased her pregnant body off of the couch and stood to face him. "She never would have stopped, Michael. It would have been one thing after the other, getting rid of her was the only solution."

"And what gave you the right to make that decision without me?" Michael asked.

"Would you have agreed to it if I'd made the suggestion to you first?" Michael looked down at his feet, not answering her. "Yeah," Lauren nodded in disappointment. "That's what I thought." Michael looked up at her in frustration.

"Look, I want her out of our lives as much as you do." Michael admitted. "But not like this." He looked at her sadly. "Do you even know where she went?" Lauren hadn't expected him to be this affected by Gloria leaving. For all of his bickering, it had never occurred to her that maybe he really and truly did love his mother, no matter how much trouble she caused him.

"No." Lauren admitted guiltily. "I thought it would be better that way." Michael nodded, unable to look at her. Suddenly he grabbed his keys off the coffee table and started heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Lauren called out after him. "Michael. Michael!" The sound of the front door slamming was his only response.

Lauren felt horrible. All she had wanted to do was fix things, and instead she'd made the situation a million times worse. She frantically wiped the tears from her eyes. Crying wouldn't solve anything, she needed to find Gloria before this whole mess blew up in their faces. Lauren bent over to reach for the phone, intending to call Gloria's cell, and that's when she felt it. Warm liquid was running down her thighs…

Her water had just broke. 


	9. Chapter 9

-1**Chapter Nine**

"No, no, no. This is not happening, not now!" Lauren pleaded as she doubled over and clutched her stomach. "It's too soon." Her due date wasn't for another two weeks or so. She let a few frustrated tears escape, feeling both physically and emotionally unprepared to give birth. Michael was gone and she had no idea where he was, a horrible storm was raging outside, the power was still out, and worst of all, she was alone.

"Ooooooh" Lauren moaned in pain as she tried to breathe her way through a painful contraction. Okay, Lauren thought to herself. So she wasn't completely alone, at least she wouldn't be for much longer. This baby was coming and soon, that much was clear. Lauren's main concern now was getting to the hospital, so she reached for the phone to dial 911 but when she pressed the 'power' button, there was no dial tone.

"Damnit!" Lauren yelled in frustration as she threw the useless phone across the room. "The storm must have cut out the phone lines." She said as she carefully lowered herself back down onto the couch and reached for her purse which she then began to rummage through in search of her cell phone. "Ah ha!" Lauren declared triumphantly when she finally found it. She quickly turned it on and dialed 911.

"Nine one one. What is your emergency?" Said the monotone voice on the other end of the line. Lauren sighed in relief.

"I've gone into pre-mature labor and I need an ambulance sent to..." Lauren heard the line go dead. She brought the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. Low Battery. Lauren let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "Great. This is just perfect...owww!" She hissed through clenched teeth as she was hit with another contraction. They were only about five minutes apart and getting stronger. This baby was determined to come out and greet the world and he was doing it on his terms.

"Well aren't we the stubborn one." Lauren cooed down at her tummy after the pain had passed. "Just like your daddy." Lauren smiled wistfully. Having run out of options, Lauren grabbed her keys and purse and gingerly eased herself off of the couch. She really wasn't in any condition to drive, but it was either that or give birth on the living room floor. The hospital was only about ten minutes away, Lauren reasoned. She could make it. Just then she heard the front door open and a familiar voice bellowed from the hallway.

"Hey, guys! The door was unlocked, so I'm comin' in!" Never in her life had Lauren been more relieved to see someone.

"Phyllis! Thank God you're here." Lauren said in relief as the other redhead waddled her equally pregnant self into the dimly lit living room.

"Wow, I'm not used to getting that kind of reception." Phyllis joked. She and Lauren had grown a lot closer over the last few months and Phyllis found it comforting to be around Lauren and Michael, they were the only two people in town who hadn't turned their backs on her. She only hoped that one day she would be able to repay them for all of their support.

"I need you to drive me to the hospital." Lauren announced.

"Why? Are you okay?" Phyllis asked, instantly concerned.

"I'm in labor." As if on cue, Lauren was hit with another powerful contraction. Phyllis immediately rushed to her side.

"Oh my God! But it's so early!" She rubbed Lauren's back, trying to alleviate some of the pain. "Where's Michael?" Phyllis asked when it appeared that her pain was subsiding.

"Out." Lauren explained as she tried to control her breathing. "We had a huge fight and I don't know where he is."

"Okay, well we'll worry about him later." Phyllis said as she began to guide Lauren towards the door. "We've gotta get you to the hospital."

"You're okay to drive?" Lauren asked.

"More okay then you are obviously!" Phyllis teased, causing Lauren to laugh which quickly turned into a grimace as she was hit by another contraction. They were coming quicker.

"Breathe, just breathe." Phyllis soothed. "Okay, we'd better hurry." And with that they headed out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Look what the cat dragged in," Kevin ribbed as he watched his older brother sulk into the coffeehouse. "What, did Lauren kick you out?" Michael took a seat on one of the stools, folded his arms and laid his head down on the bar.

"No," he mumbled. "I stormed out."

"Why?" Kevin asked, confused. "I thought Lauren was the one mad at you?"

"She was. Well she probably still is, but now I have my own reason for being a little disillusioned with my wife." Michael explained as he lifted his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Oh come on. Whatever she did or said, it can't be that bad." Kevin reasoned.

"She got rid of Gloria." Michael declared.

"What?! How?"

"She paid her to leave town and never come back." Michael explained.

"And she agreed?" Kevin asked incredulously. He couldn't believe that his mother would just up and leave without saying a word.

"That surprises you?" Michael said snidely. "Gloria would do just about anything if the price was right."

"Well why are you so upset with Lauren then? It doesn't sound like you've had a change of heart where our mother is concerned." Kevin asked as he bent down to get more candles.

"Because she did it without telling me and now she could be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive." Michael said in frustration. He couldn't even contemplate the possibility of seeing the love of his life, the mother of his child, thrown in jail because of him. And it was his fault, Michael acknowledged. Because if it wasn't for all of his lying and covering up for Gloria, Lauren never would have felt the need to do something this drastic.

"I can't believe she would do something like this, it's so unlike her." Kevin shook his head in disbelief, placing candles on the counter to help light the darkened coffee house.

"No, it's not" Michael said with pride in his voice. "Family is the most important thing to Lauren and she would do anything to protect that." Michael shook his head in frustration. "I kept telling myself that that's what I was doing by covering for Gloria, that I was protecting my family." Michael laughed bitterly. "Ruining it is more like it. I should have gotten Gloria out of our lives months ago."

"So is that why this is bothering you so much? Because Lauren did what you couldn't?" Kevin asked knowingly.

"Maybe." Michael admitted. "All I know for sure is that I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure no one ever finds out about what Lauren did. I owe her that much." Just then Michael's cell phone started ringing in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the caller ID, he didn't recognize the number. "Maybe this is Gloria now?" So much for breaking all contact with us, Michael thought cynically.

"Baldwin." Michael said sharply into the phone, expecting to hear his mother's voice on the other end of the line.

"Where the hell are you, Michael?!"

"Phyllis?" She was the last person he was expecting to hear from this evening. "I thought you were out of town visiting Daniel and Lily at college?"

"I came back early," Phyllis explained "But never mind that now, you need to get over here to the hospital right away."

"Are you okay? Is there something wrong with the baby?" Michael asked, concerned.

"This is about your baby, not mine" Michael felt his heart drop. "Lauren's gone into labor, she was just admitted to the hospital." Phyllis explained.

"I'm on my way." Michael snapped his phone shut and started heading out the door when Kevin called out after him.

"Michael! What's wrong? Is it the baby?" Michael stopped in his tracks and turned back to face his little brother, his face drained of color.

"It's Lauren," Michael explained, his voice strained with emotion. "The baby's early." And without saying anything more, Michael turned around and rushed out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

-1**Chapter Ten**

"Where's Michael?" Lauren called out as Phyllis entered the busy hospital room. The entire hospital was in a state of controlled chaos with electricians struggling to get the power back on before the hospital's backup generator gave out. When they had arrived earlier, the Emergency Room had looked more like a war zone with all of the car crash victims waiting for medical attention. This definitely was not the best of nights to be bringing a new baby into the world.

"I just got off the phone with him, he's on his way." Phyllis assured her as she moved to the side of Lauren's hospital bed and reached down to hold her hand. She squeezed it reassuringly. "He'll get here in time, don't worry." Lauren offered her a weak smile. Phyllis moved to pull her hand away but Lauren grabbed a hold of it and squeezed as she was hit by another powerful contraction.

"Oh God, it hurts!" Lauren cried out in pain. Phyllis wiped the sweat from her brow and encouraged her to try and control her breathing, but it wasn't helping.

"Where's the doctor? I want an epidural." Lauren pleaded, sweat and tears streaming down her face. A nurse who was checking the fetal heart monitor heard Lauren's request and moved closer to the bed.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Baldwin, it's too late for you to receive epidural anesthesia . You're almost fully dilated." the nurse smiled down at her sympathetically. "But that's a good thing! The doctor will be back shortly and if the baby is crowning, you can start pushing."

"But it's too soon! What if he's not big enough yet?" Lauren asked fearfully as she glanced at the fetal monitor to check if the numbers were holding steady. She was just so terrified that something would happen to the baby, it was all she could think about.

"You're only two weeks ahead of your scheduled due date, Mrs. Baldwin. Chances are your baby will be perfectly healthy. He may just have to spend a day or two in an incubator." A look of distress crossed Lauren's face then as she thought about her tiny baby in tubes. Phyllis gave the nurse a look that told her she should try and be a little more comforting if she knew what was good for her. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, dear." The nurse continued, "For now let's just concentrate on getting this baby out into the world."

"Okay." Lauren nodded then squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to get through another contraction. She had forgotten how painful this was. Lauren tried to concentrate on what the end result would be, the utter joy and elation of holding her baby in her arms for the first time. She could handle a little pain.

"Ahhhh! Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Lauren screamed out in agony. She felt like she was being ripped in half. Phyllis tried to comfort her, but she knew she wasn't being very helpful. She was terrified herself, thinking about how she too would be going through the same thing in a few weeks time. She didn't know if it was from sympathy pains or the fact that Lauren was once again squeezing the hell out of her hand, but Phyllis felt tears running down her own face then as she desperately tried to comfort her friend.

"Shhhh, it's gonna be alright. Just try and breathe Lauren, breathe through the pain. That's it." Lauren released the breath she was holding in and then flopped back against the pillows in exhaustion. There were tears in her eyes.

"Why isn't he here yet?" Lauren asked Phyllis quietly.

"Do you want me to go and call him again?" Phyllis offered, already starting to move towards the door.

"No, it's okay. Don't leave." Lauren said in a panic. "I don't want to be alone." Phyllis's heart broke for her.

"Hey, he'll be here. Alright?" Phyllis smiled at her warmly "You and this baby mean the world to him, wild horses couldn't keep him away." Lauren smiled up at her, trying to reassure herself that Phyllis was right. Lauren braced herself as she was rocked by yet another painful contraction.

"Oh my God, I need to push!" Lauren screamed as she started baring down. The nurse rushed to the foot of the bed to check and see how far along Lauren's labor was progressing.

"Okay, the baby's head has started to crown. It won't be long now!" This nurse was just way too dn chipper, Lauren thought to herself. "I'll go get Dr. Thompson" 

"Phyllis," Lauren sobbed as the nurse left the room. "Where's Michael? Where's my husband!"

"Am I being paged?" Came a voice from the doorway.

"Michael!" Lauren cried out in relief, holding her arms out to him. He swiftly made his way to her and held her close. Lauren buried her face in his neck and cried. "I was so afraid you weren't gonna make it in time."

"Are you kidding?" Michael said as he eased himself out of her arms and helped her lay back against the pillows. "Wild horses couldn't have kept me away!" Lauren grinned up at Phyllis.

"Told ya so." She teased. Michael was about to ask what the joke was when the Dr. Thompson entered the room.

"So I here that baby Baldwin is ready to make his, or her, grand entrance." She said as she smiled pleasantly at Michael and Lauren.

"Okay, Michael's here now so I'm gonna head out to the waiting room." Phyllis said as she headed towards the door.

"You don't have to leave, Phyllis. Don't you wanna stay and see your godchild be born?" Phyllis turned around and from where she stood near the door she could see more of Lauren than she ever needed to.

"Uh, no I think I'll let you two handle this on your own." Phyllis said, still staring at Lauren. It was like a car accident, she just couldn't look away. Phyllis knew the same thing would be happening to her body in a couple of weeks and it scared the crap out of her. "Good luck!" And with that Phyllis tore her gaze away from the scene in front of her and headed out the door. Michael turned his attention to his wife as she began screaming her way through another contraction.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's gonna be okay. Just breathe with me." Michael soothed, letting her squeeze his hand and kissing her forehead gently. "Isn't there anything you can give her for the pain?" Michael asked in between contractions. He couldn't stand seeing Lauren in so much pain, she looked completely warn out.

"Sorry, no." Dr. Thompson said sympathetically as she sat down at the foot of the bed. "Her labor has progressed too far along for that now, it's time to start pushing."

"Oh, thank God!" Lauren screamed as she was hit with another contraction.

"Okay, Lauren if you have the urge the push, go for it." And Lauren did just that. "Good, good. That's it!" Dr. Thompson said encouragingly. "A few more pushes like that and we'll have ourselves a baby."

And she was right. Fifteen minutes and a few painful pushes later, Dr. Thompson was encouraging Michael to look over the sheet to see his baby's head. Michael did just that and was in awe of what he saw.

"Lauren, the baby! I can see the baby." Michael told her excitedly.

"Yeah, that's great honey." Lauren said through gritted teeth as she concentrated on pushing her way through another contraction. The pain was excruciating!

"That's it, Lauren. One more big push and that's it!" Michael moved back up to the head of the bed and stroked Lauren's face comfortingly.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's meet our baby." And with that Lauren bared down with all the strength she had left and pushed with all her might. Michael felt tears well up in his eyes and watched in awe as Dr. Thompson pulled the baby out from underneath the sheet.

"And it's a girl!" The doctor declared, holding the baby up for Michael and Lauren to see as she worked on cleaning out her airway.

"A girl? Lauren, it's a girl!" Michael said to her ecstatically. Lauren was exhausted but she smiled happily at him through her tears of joy.

"We have a daughter." Lauren said in awe. Then her expression turned serious. "Why isn't she crying?"

"Don't worry, sometimes it just takes a second." A nurse handed Michael a pair of surgical scissors. "Daddy, would you like to cut your baby girl's cord?" Dr. Thompson asked him pleasantly. Michael nodded slowly and took the scissors from the nurse, his hand was shaking. Once it was done, Dr. Thompson handed the baby over to one of the nurses who took the quiet infant over to the other end of the room.

"Wait, I wanna hold her!" Lauren called out desperately.

"In a minute, we just need to get her checked out and cleaned up. Then she's all yours." And then the sound of their baby's angry cries filled the small room.

"Wow," Michael gazed at Lauren with so much love in his eyes. "Have you ever heard anything more beautiful than that?" Lauren smiled up at him with tears in her eyes.

"No." she said simply. They both watched anxiously as the nurse walked towards them holding their wailing baby girl in her arms. She was swaddled securely in a white blanket with a tiny pink hat on her head. The nurse moved to place the baby in Michael's arms and he quickly glanced at Lauren, silently asking her if he could hold the baby first. She smiled lovingly at him and nodded. Michael carefully took the baby in his arms, careful to support her small head.

"She's so tiny." Michael whispered as he gazed at his daughter, trying to take everything in at once. Her perfect little nose and rosebud lips. She was pink and wrinkly and adorable, with a smattering of chestnut brown hair poking out from underneath the small hat. And her eyes, Michael couldn't stop looking at her eyes. They were beautiful. She was blinking up at him curiously as her crying slowly began to subside.

"Hi there," Michael said softly and he could swear she understood him. "I'm your dad." God, he loved the way that sounded. The baby gurgled up at him, her tiny hands trying to get loose from beneath the blanket she was swaddled in. Michael carefully freed one and took her little wrinkly hand in his larger one, counting five perfect tiny fingers. And that's when it hit him. He was in love. He was hopelessly, unconditionally in love with this perfect little baby girl whom he had just met. And with that love came the most fiercest urge to protect her at all costs. To devote his life to making her happy.

"Hey, baby hog. Are you ever gonna let me hold our daughter?" Lauren teased playfully as she fought off sleep in favor of watching Michael fall in love with their beautiful baby girl. She hadn't wanted to interrupt, but she was anxious to do some bonding with the baby herself.

"Sorry." Michael chuckled as he carefully bent down and placed the baby in her mother's arms.

"Hey there, sweetie." Lauren softly cooed to her daughter as she stroked her tiny face and marveled at how unbelievably soft her chubby little cheeks were. Lauren smiled up at Michael with tears in her eyes that matched his own. "Michael, she's perfect."

"I know," Michael agreed wholeheartedly. "She looks just like me." He teased.

"Oh, shut up you!" Lauren admonished him playfully then looked down at their daughter once more. "Well she definitely has your eyes, which is what I was afraid of." Michael looked at her quizzically.

"Why?"

"As if those big brown puppy dog eyes aren't adorable enough on you, now I have a little girl that I'll never be able to say no to either." Michael laughed warmly at that and bent to give Lauren an affectionate kiss.

"I love you so much." Michael said fiercely and Lauren had a feeling he was talking to both of them.

"And we love you." They exchanged goofy, love struck grins and gazed down at their baby girl once more. Lauren had never felt so content, so at peace with life. Sitting here holding her daughter with the man whom she adored. Her life was as close to perfect as it gets, and Lauren was determined to keep it that way.

"Michael?" He tore his gaze away from the baby and looked at Lauren questioningly. "I know we had settled on the name Brianna Belle if the baby turned out to be a girl, but how do you feel about the name 'Emma'?" Michael raised his eyebrow at that, realizing the deeper meaning behind Lauren's name suggestion. It was because of what happened to Emma Gibson that Michael risked everything, his career, his freedom. By naming their daughter after the woman, the name would take on a new meaning in their lives. One of happiness and joy, rather than angst and sorrow. It would also help to remind Michael of everything he risked losing by covering for his mother, a mistake he was determined never to make again.

"It's a beautiful name," Michael nodded finally. Lauren smiled up at him in gratitude, knowing that he appreciated her reasoning for the name change. "Emma Baldwin," Michael let the name roll off his tongue as he again took his daughter's tiny hand in his. "I like it."

"Emma Gloria Baldwin." Lauren corrected. Michael looked up at her in surprise.

"Lauren, you don't have to that. I'm fine with it." He assured her. Yes, he had been upset with her at first for getting rid of Gloria without telling him, but he was over it now. He'd lived a lot of years without having his mother in his life, he'd get used to not having Gloria around anymore. Eventually.

"Yes, I do." Lauren declared firmly. "I had no right to take your mother away from you." She admitted sadly, tears of regret in her eyes. "At least let me give you this." Michael took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, letting her know without words that he didn't blame her at all.

"Alright then," Michael said as he reached down and picked the baby up again. He sat down on the side of the bed so that Lauren could see their now sleeping baby girl as well. She looked like an angle. "Emma Gloria Baldwin it is." Michael declared proudly. "A fitting name for the first female president of the United States, dontcha' think?" Lauren chuckled sleepily as she lay her head down on Michael's shoulder and gazed contentedly at their beautiful baby girl.

"It's perfect."


End file.
